<p>Iran on Sunday launched a new locally-made submarine capable of firing cruise missiles, state TV said, in the country's latest show of military might at a time of heightened tensions with the US.</p>.<p>The launch ceremony, led by President Hassan Rouhani, took place in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.</p>.<p>"Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran is fully self-reliant on land, air and sea," Rouhani said.</p>.<p>"Our defensive power is meant to defend our interests and we have never sought to attack any country," he added.</p>.<p>Named the Fateh (Farsi for 'Conqueror'), Fars news agency said the new submarine is Iran's first in the semi-heavy category, filling a gap between the light Ghadir class and the heavy Kilo class submarines that the country possesses.</p>.<p>Fars said the near 600-tonne underwater vessel is equipped with torpedoes and naval mines in addition to cruise missiles, and can operate more than 200 metres below sea level for up to 35 days.</p>.<p>The US withdrew from a 2015 multilateral nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018 and re-imposed biting unilateral sanctions later last year.</p>.<p>Iran's Revolutionary Guards on February 7 unveiled a new ballistic missile with a range of 1,000 kilometres (620 miles), according to the elite unit's official media agency Sepah News.</p>.<p>The surface-to-surface missile -- called Dezful -- is an upgrade on the older Zolfaghar model that had a range of 700 kilometres, aerospace commander Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh said.</p>.<p>Rouhani said on Sunday that "pressure by enemies, the (Iran-Iraq) war and sanctions" were incentives for Tehran to be self-reliant in its defence industry.</p>.<p>"Maybe we would not have this motivation to industrialise our defence sector," he said, if Iran could just buy the weaponry it needed.</p>.<p>Iran's top military brass and cabinet ministers attended the ceremony.</p>
<p>Iran on Sunday launched a new locally-made submarine capable of firing cruise missiles, state TV said, in the country's latest show of military might at a time of heightened tensions with the US.</p>.<p>The launch ceremony, led by President Hassan Rouhani, took place in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.</p>.<p>"Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran is fully self-reliant on land, air and sea," Rouhani said.</p>.<p>"Our defensive power is meant to defend our interests and we have never sought to attack any country," he added.</p>.<p>Named the Fateh (Farsi for 'Conqueror'), Fars news agency said the new submarine is Iran's first in the semi-heavy category, filling a gap between the light Ghadir class and the heavy Kilo class submarines that the country possesses.</p>.<p>Fars said the near 600-tonne underwater vessel is equipped with torpedoes and naval mines in addition to cruise missiles, and can operate more than 200 metres below sea level for up to 35 days.</p>.<p>The US withdrew from a 2015 multilateral nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018 and re-imposed biting unilateral sanctions later last year.</p>.<p>Iran's Revolutionary Guards on February 7 unveiled a new ballistic missile with a range of 1,000 kilometres (620 miles), according to the elite unit's official media agency Sepah News.</p>.<p>The surface-to-surface missile -- called Dezful -- is an upgrade on the older Zolfaghar model that had a range of 700 kilometres, aerospace commander Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh said.</p>.<p>Rouhani said on Sunday that "pressure by enemies, the (Iran-Iraq) war and sanctions" were incentives for Tehran to be self-reliant in its defence industry.</p>.<p>"Maybe we would not have this motivation to industrialise our defence sector," he said, if Iran could just buy the weaponry it needed.</p>.<p>Iran's top military brass and cabinet ministers attended the ceremony.</p>